SARPE 72 Hours Post Op./ Expansion Begins

Today is day three after surgery and as predicted swelling was pretty bad upon waking this morning. I also have very bad bruising which is much more apparent today. I look like I went a couple of rounds in the boxing ring with my opponent clearly getting the better of me. Pain is still very minimal, nothing that advil can't fix, and my whole upper arch remains pretty much numb. Chewing is pretty weird, as I really can't feel my teeth. I do have some slight tingling going on in places though, sorta like when novacaine is wearing off. Supposedly that is a good thing as that means the nerves are starting to regenerate. I didn't sleep as well last night, and had a slight lingering headache until falling asleep, but other than that the achiness seems to be subsiding a little. The ortho seems to think I look remarkably well (I'm sure he says that to everyone that looks like death!) and instructed me to begin using warm compresses and no more ice today. He said to apply them 10 minutes on, then 10 minutes off, and that this will increase the circulation and reduce the swelling pretty rapidly. Mostly in the pics I look very bruised, (remember that I bruise very easily though!) however, swelling is really pretty minimal. Due in part (I think) to my constant icing on day one. (see swelling pics below.)

Right out of bed





















After shower,Ice, and Makeup

















After getting up and ready to go I went to the ortho this morning and received a couple surprises (definitely NOT what you want after having someone take a chisel to your facial skeleton.) Seems that my OS did not cement my appliance in place so my ortho had to remove it and cement it in. It wasn't painful but I could feel slight pressure and it started to ache a bit without the appliance to hold everything where it needs to be. Once getting it fitted and properly in place he showed my husband how to turn the key and my expansion process was started. Now not only am I dependent on my darling husband for the next 15 days, but he can take out his frustrations on me, twice daily with simply the turn of a key! I ask you.... How messed up is that? LOL..
We will be cranking this torture device 30 times, twice per day, before stopping. It is a pretty hard feeling to describe. Not painful, but definitely weird. The Orthodontist turned the crank a couple of times, and I instantly felt pressure on the sides of my mouth, and through my sinuses. Just pressure, not pain. I do have a mild headache again though, and just took 3 advil to help with it. I have not had any coffee yet today though, so it could very well be just a caffeine headache!

Next he put a new archwire in my top brackets, and put a pink powerchain on my front teeth. He said that I will still be getting a gap, but it will not be as big with this powerchain on. I know we had talked about him not chaining the gap, but I'm trusting that he knows what he is doing and that everything will be fine. He did tell me that the new archwire will make my teeth hurt by tomorrow, and that the powerchain will feel like increased pressure too. Does he think that this whole SARPE thing hasn't been aggravating enough?? It's like he just wants to keep piling on the pain, or else see if he can make me hurt more! All I know is that I'm starting to think that orthodontists in general are the spawn of Satan! Here is a pic of my new pink powerchain. I will be posting the expansion as well, but rather than doing it daily I will wait and post every few days.